Booking paid outbound flight and award return flight
Jun 12, 2012, 1:40 pm
#16
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Jun 12, 2012, 1:49 pm
#17
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It is? I've seen many posts here where people have reported what EF was saying for a particular flight and never imagined that something so seemingly innocuous would be against the rules, especially when this information is freely available from other sources. But my apologies, I stand corrected. To the OP, a quick call to AA should be able to tell you this information.
Cheers.
Jun 12, 2012, 1:52 pm
#18
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Hey OP,
Are you saying that you want to purchase a revenue round trip ticket, use the inbound into Hawaii, and then book a one way first class trip on the return?
If so, is it really cheaper to buy a round trip ticket than a one way revenue ticket to Hawaii?
The second thing I want to let you know of is the fact that you can use your miles to upgrade on a revenue ticket. Assuming you are coming from the mainland US, I think it would only cost you 15,000 miles plus 50 copay to upgrade.
Are you saying that you want to purchase a revenue round trip ticket, use the inbound into Hawaii, and then book a one way first class trip on the return?
If so, is it really cheaper to buy a round trip ticket than a one way revenue ticket to Hawaii?
The second thing I want to let you know of is the fact that you can use your miles to upgrade on a revenue ticket. Assuming you are coming from the mainland US, I think it would only cost you 15,000 miles plus 50 copay to upgrade.
Jun 12, 2012, 1:53 pm
#19
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Welcome to FT.
First, what you're doing is definitely against the rules but many here (including me) are not always sticklers about following the rules
In reality, this should work. Because the award ticket is on a different day, there should be no conflict within the system causing the cancellation of either ticket. Obviously, you'll lose the return when you don't show up...but that's the idea.
It has been suggested that doing this "often" could lead to AA noticing and taking action since it is a rule violation. Since you're planning it just this one time, there should not be an issue.
So, on the surface, it seems like it should work.
Cheers.
First, what you're doing is definitely against the rules but many here (including me) are not always sticklers about following the rules
In reality, this should work. Because the award ticket is on a different day, there should be no conflict within the system causing the cancellation of either ticket. Obviously, you'll lose the return when you don't show up...but that's the idea.
It has been suggested that doing this "often" could lead to AA noticing and taking action since it is a rule violation. Since you're planning it just this one time, there should not be an issue.
So, on the surface, it seems like it should work.
Cheers.
Jun 12, 2012, 1:57 pm
#20
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have you used orbitz/other to see 1 way fares on your date?
may not apply, but dfw-hnl had 1 ways on other carriers for $5-600 vs aa @ $1200 on a mid week date....
may not apply, but dfw-hnl had 1 ways on other carriers for $5-600 vs aa @ $1200 on a mid week date....
Jun 12, 2012, 2:01 pm
#21
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My advice would be to book a round trip and choose a return flight where A inventory is available (which will let you use miles+copay to upgrade on your return flight), that way you aren't doing anything technically against the rules that AA might pick up on, and so you don't miss out on earning miles on the return flight. I also strongly suggest going through DFW so you can fly on the 763 with the angled lie-flat seats, rather than going through LAX and taking the 757 with the Eisenhower interior (where the first class seats recline so little that you won't be sufficiently more comfortable than in coach to make the miles+copay worth it).
I assume since you fly so infrequently that you don't have an ExpertFlyer account. So if you give us folks here on FT some proposed dates, I'm sure some of us (myself included) wouldn't mind checking to see if A inventory is available on your return flight. Alternatively, you can always give AA a call and ask them, and they can tell you this as well. But if you ask us you won't have to wait on hold.
If it doesn't work out using miles+copay for the return, as someone else here also advised, I'd suggest making the return trip WAY out (such that you can use it for coming back from your anniversary trip out there next year, if you move next year's trip up a little early).
I assume since you fly so infrequently that you don't have an ExpertFlyer account. So if you give us folks here on FT some proposed dates, I'm sure some of us (myself included) wouldn't mind checking to see if A inventory is available on your return flight. Alternatively, you can always give AA a call and ask them, and they can tell you this as well. But if you ask us you won't have to wait on hold.
If it doesn't work out using miles+copay for the return, as someone else here also advised, I'd suggest making the return trip WAY out (such that you can use it for coming back from your anniversary trip out there next year, if you move next year's trip up a little early).
Jun 12, 2012, 2:03 pm
#22
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Thanks for replying. I have no idea what A inventory means, sorry. Like I said in the first post, I fly very infrequently (3 - 4 times a year) and really do not understand all the jargon I've seen on this forum that I'm sure makes perfect sense to an expert flyer. Could someone point me in the direction of a website or forum that would help educate me? Although we have a combined 100,000+ AAdvantage miles, we have never used them for upgrades or rewards and would really like to be able to take advantage of them and have no idea how to get started.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-points.html
Jun 12, 2012, 2:05 pm
#23
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Nope. Nothing has changed. The rules mentioned above apply to different organizations and, as I'm not a blind rule follower, I get to choose which ones I will adhere to and which ignore. In turn, that will affect what I suggest when dispensing advice. As we are on FT, I think that following their rules is prudent
Black and white...meet color.
Cheers.
Black and white...meet color.
Cheers.
Jun 12, 2012, 2:29 pm
#24
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I never thought of checking with orbitz, etc., but found fares for less than half what AA is charging. Only problem being much longer travel time (6 - 11 hours) to save that kind of money. Guess now I have to decide which one I prefer - cheap flight with much longer travel time or flying AA and getting there when I want.
Jun 12, 2012, 3:05 pm
#25
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Would it be possible to get one RT award ticket and purchase one ticket ?? If that was suggested, I didnt see it. It is my nap time.
Jun 12, 2012, 3:42 pm
#26
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Thanks for replying. I have no idea what A inventory means, sorry. Like I said in the first post, I fly very infrequently (3 - 4 times a year) and really do not understand all the jargon I've seen on this forum that I'm sure makes perfect sense to an expert flyer. Could someone point me in the direction of a website or forum that would help educate me? Although we have a combined 100,000+ AAdvantage miles, we have never used them for upgrades or rewards and would really like to be able to take advantage of them and have no idea how to get started.
Jun 12, 2012, 4:10 pm
#27
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For the flights you'd be considering (domestic, from Hawaii back home), A inventory is the fare class used by American Airlines that has to be available for you to upgrade a paid coach ticket to first class using miles+copay (at significantly fewer miles than using your miles to purchase an award ticket outright, and a pretty nominal copay). The benefit is that you can just upgrade the return segment (not the outbound) of the round-trip ticket, and therefore take advantage of the much lower round-trip fare without having to do anything "funny" (like scheduling the return flight a few days out and not taking it, and using miles to buy a return flight on your desired date in first class). This also has the added benefit of still earning miles on the return trip home (whereas a straight-up award ticket will not earn any miles). If A inventory isn't available, you can be waitlisted for it (as if it's not available now, they typically release it when departure time is coming up soon), but your upgrade might very well not clear because others with status might have their upgrades clear before yours. So it's best to try and choose a return flight where A is available to confirm you both in first class right away. You don't have to specifically ask for A inventory when you call and speak to an agent; you can just ask for help finding flights where you can use miles+copay to upgrade the return portion for you both. In using ExpertFlyer (a subscription-based service that allows you to see this inventory) just now, I found that some flights from HNL to DFW on random dates a few months from now do have A inventory available (more don't than do, but some do, so those are the ones you'd want to choose). Hope this explanation helps a bit.
Jun 12, 2012, 4:28 pm
#28
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Usually I'm the one always asking the questions, so I'm glad I could actually be of help for once! Haha. Hope it works out for you. I can't stress enough to route yourself so you connect through DFW so you can fly on the 767-300 ("763") with the angled lie-flat seats in first class and sleep comfortably on your flight home. You will be seriously disappointed if you connect through LAX where they fly a 757 on this route instead, with first class seats that barely recline and aren't really conducive to sleeping.
Do let us know what you ended up doing--I know I for one would be curious to hear!
Hope it works out for you. I can't stress enough to route yourself so you connect through DFW so you can fly on the 767-300 ("763") with the angled lie-flat seats in first class and sleep comfortably on your flight home. You will be seriously disappointed if you connect through LAX where they fly a 757 on this route instead, with first class seats that barely recline and aren't really conducive to sleeping.Do let us know what you ended up doing--I know I for one would be curious to hear!
Jun 12, 2012, 4:35 pm
#29
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Jun 12, 2012, 4:37 pm
#30
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have you looked at buying the 1 ways on brands other than aa?....there are good deals from xna also...